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About Remount Foundation

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What is Remount Foundation?

Today, a U.S. service member, veteran, law enforcement official, firefighter, or emergency medical technician will choose to rediscover hope that makes each day a journey toward healing for them and their families. The trauma experienced within these communities of brave individuals overwhelms their lives to the point of suicidal ideation. Even with the ending of major, active war fronts and the reduced global threat from a fast-moving, lethal pandemic, suicide rates amongst our military and first-responder personnel continue to climb.

The El Paso County Coroner’s 2021 Annual Report revealed a saddening trend developing in our military community. El Paso County experienced a 2% drop in suicides county-wide year over year; however, within the county’s military community, the number of suicides increased by 20% in 2021. In the year that saw the end of twenty years of conflict in Iraq/Afghanistan, an increased number of the brave succumbed to the lingering effects of war.

The Watson Institute at Brown University found that over four times the number of active-duty personnel and post-9/11 war veterans died from suicide than were killed in aggregate of all post-9/11 combat. These individuals return from physical battles only to encounter an internal conflict–a mental war zone overwhelming them with depression and suicidal ideation. And our first responders are experiencing increased service-related trauma with upsurges in mass casualty incidents and the daily strain placed on the healthcare system by COVID. These brave men and women serving our nation and our communities are experiencing the life-altering effects now saddled upon them by Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) not just once in a lifetime but sometimes more than once a day robbing them of their desire to live.

You can help these brave souls emerge from the depressing weight of suicide to stand on hope with purpose and in peace.

Remount Foundation provides a transformative experience empowering America’s bravest to find a renewed purpose in life through hope and healing. The “re-mount” experience leads to a self-awareness of the mental and physical trauma inflicted by their service tours or calls. The participant gains this awareness through experiential, therapeutic activities we call the Remount Method.

Remount's Roots

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Today's Remount

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Anchored in Equine Assisted Philosophy, the Remount Method partners with horses to facilitate self-discovery in program participants of areas they feel the need to grow and improve and that they are more alright than they believe themselves to be. Horses help humans on both the behavioral level and the physiological level. At a basic level, horses have an innate response mechanism used to protect the herd, often called herd mentality. When a horse is startled, the horse responds in a physical manner that immediately warns the neighboring horses of a threat. In Equine Assisted Philosophy, the horse reflects the tension experienced by the nearby, PTS-triggered human, giving the human individual instant feedback, a visual and physical manifestation, of their internal emotional climate. In many cases, the first manifestation is an eye-opening experience that immediately creates a bond between the participant and the horse. The journey along the pathway of healing commenced with that moment.

More than

1001

of America's Bravest and their families have participated in Remount Foundation programs

Remount Foundation relies on the generosity of our donors like you to bring each participant back from the brink of suicide every day. We need donor partners to continue funding this powerful program that saves lives. The continuation of threatening COVID variants and rising tensions overseas that are now spilling over our homeland create not only a challenging economic situation for Remount Foundation but forecast additional needs as the number of our bravest inflicted by service trauma will continue climbing. That escalation will continue to bear out as increased suicide rates among those serving us.

You can save a life with your support of Remount Foundation. Please help us help America’s Bravest and their families overcome the trauma they have encountered in serving us all.

Thank You,

Team RF
Remount Foundation

Origins

Remount Foundation was started in 2009 by Jeanne Springer and Billy Jack Barrett. Both were working in various capacities at the riding stables at the United States Air Force Academy with cadets and other military members when they began to see horses in a new light. They witnessed first-hand the transformative healing power between equines and humans.
From there, Billy Jack, and especially Jeanne started tapping into the equine magic. Word got around about the fledgling program, and it grew out of necessity. In 2016, Remount Foundation name was selected for the organization, symbolizing the rich history between horses and the United States military, which was once called the Remount Service. The governance of the organization continues to transition to a Board of Directors. Billy Jack and Jeanne continue to run the organization with a hands-on approach and a stable of volunteers and supporters.

The Program

Our flagship method is Equine Assisted Philosophy (EAP), which is an intensive program designed to help participants take ownership of their healing, learn to reconnect with their families and provide them with the resilience tools to successfully reintegrate into society. Participants in our EAP program come from all branches of the military, as well as community first responders. Our services are free to all participants. We take great pride in serving veterans of all eras, including those from the Vietnam War, as we believe it is never too late to find healing. Some become volunteers and are devoted to helping younger veterans find a healing path that they never had when they came home from Vietnam. We believe in the power of cross-generational healing and mentorship. 50% of our participants admit to suicidal ideation, intention, or attempts before starting our program.

Our EAP participants struggle with anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping, anger, and guilt – all hallmark symptoms of PTS. Many of our participants are referred from either military or VA mental health professionals, from other non-profit organizations, or – one of the most telling signs of success – word of mouth from other participants or alumni of Remount Foundation. Our participants often come to the Remount Foundation program near the end of their resilience tether, having lost hope in their support systems. After going through an intake screening to assess their needs, we usually partner the participant with a highly-trained volunteer who facilitates a series of therapeutic exercises designed to help the participant learn to process their traumatic experiences. We encourage them to take ownership of their healing and build the tools of resilience needed to reintegrate into society.

The Horse Boy Method is another equine therapy technique that Remount Foundation uses to help military families (including those affected by autism) and warriors – particularly those affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is the “signature wound” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, often caused by blast injuries from improvised explosive devices. The Horse Boy Method, designed by Rupert Isaacson, helps participants through a series of sensory movement exercises and interactions with the horse. Whether through one-on-one work with combat wounded warriors suffering from the side effects of TBI, or through half-day sessions for military families (especially those families with autistic children). We couch the Horse Boy family sessions as “play dates” for the children, and we continue to see tremendous positive results as the families find calm and confidence through interactions with the horses.
Remount Foundation also uses the HeartMath® technique to help participants reduce their stress and anxiety through research-based, technology-facilitated exercises. With the high prevalence of anxiety, stress, anger, and depression in those affected by PTS, we believe that offering HeartMath® to our participants is a great way to help them take control of their healing and add a tool to their resilience toolbox. We provide our participants with HeartMath® physiological monitors that, through a smartphone application, provide biofeedback to help participants control their breathing and regain inner balance. We know from over a decade of experience that the most effective and sustainable outcomes for warriors happens when they take control of their healing.

Media

Remount Foundation regularly updates followers on social media channels, and receives positive press.  

Local OTA & Streaming TV Broadcast

KOAA-TV featured Remount Foundation in their Serving Colorado series of news stories and in on-air promotional spots.

Radio Podcast

Remount Foundation forged a joint partnership with Mountain Country radio. For one year, between 2020 and 2021, stories about Remount were featured weekly on social media of the popular Colorado Springs station.

Funding

Remount Foundation continues to remain focused on the mission. It is funded through private donors, foundation grants, and our charity golf tournament.

RE/MAX, LLC

Scribante
Family

CO Veterans
Assistance Grant


Merck
Animal Health

El Pomar
Foundation

USAA
 


Scheels
 

B&B Supply
 

Site Services
Drilling, LLC

MOPH
 



SVN
 



Network Insurance Services LLC
 

Boot Barn Hall
 

Kirkpatrick
Bank

Colorado
Saddlery



Big R
 

Added Impact Consulting

Cicis Pizza

Burke
 

Halona
Farms

2021 Financial Overview

Outlook

To date, Remount Foundation has served more than 10,000 participants. As the program continues to grow, we continue to meet challenges of the day. For example, COVID restrictions put an additional strain on veterans already struggling with PTS. We realized it, and quickly adjusted our program to accommodate by offering online sessions.

Our world continues to create situations that traumatize those currently on the front lines, our first-responders experiencing the horrific trauma from an active shooter event, and those who have served on the front lines, decades long battle scars inflicted across multiple generations of warriors. We see an increased need for services and can only continue to offer this program through our generous supporters. 

Discover more about Remount Foundation through the pages of our website. If you believe in our “Horse Power for Heroes” approach to hope and healing, join us as a participant, a volunteer, or a supporter. 

In 1908, the U.S. Army began Remount, a program to supply horses to the fronts of American armed forces. A “remount” horse enabled their assigned soldier to fulfill their purpose, raised morale, and warmed the soldier’s heart during wartime. Today, Remount Foundation continues to provide a pathway to a rediscovery of a participant’s life purpose through horses.

Jeanne Springer and Billy Jack Barrett
Remount Foundation grew out of necessity. Jeanne Springer and Billy Jack Barrett were working at the riding stables at the U.S. Air Force Academy with cadets and other military members when they began to realize the horses were helping injured veterans.
Word got out around the Colorado Springs military community and soon wounded combat veterans were calling from all branches of service. Jeanne and Billy Jack have trained horses for decades, with the Remount Foundation culminating as the most fulfilling part of their life work.

Mr Billy Jack Barrett

A legend in the cowboy and horse community and a US Army veteran from the Vietnam era, Mr. Barrett – the last horse buyer for Fort Carson’s 4/12 Cavalry program and over 40 years as the manager of the US Air Force Academy Equestrian Center – noted the healing effect that horses had on combat-wounded veterans. Through his work in the horse industry, Mr. Barrett worked with Audie Murphy (the most decorated US soldier of WWII); General AP Clarke (WWII prisoner of war and former Superintendent of the US Air Force Academy); General Macke Steinhoff (Germany’s leading fighter pilot ace in WWII); and countless other veterans of the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Billy Jack Barrett

Mrs Jeanne Springer

Mrs. Jeanne Springer is a military spouse who served on the US Air Force Academy Equestrian Center staff for 20 years. Mrs. Springer holds a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences and trained as a Stephen’s Minister and Leader. Mrs. Springer incorporated elements from the OK Corral Series, Horse Boy Method, and HeartMath® to create the Remount Foundation’s unique, life-saving approach to equine-assisted learning for trauma survivors. Jeanne has more than two decades of experience in equine-assisted therapeutic practice, helping others find the path to hope and healing. The Remount Foundation alumni view Jeanne as an angel on earth with a heart of pure gold and compassion.

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